smeathe's plantation beings 2009

24th July 2009

2009 stands out as one of the most active and widely reported years for unusual sightings and unexplained experiences across the UK, particularly in Wiltshire. Why this sudden surge occurred remains open to interpretation. Some researchers have suggested that the phenomenon may have reached a natural peak that year — a crescendo before the gradual decline in large‑scale formations that followed. Others speculate that 2009 acted as a kind of convergence point: multiple types of anomalous activity appearing within the same season, as if drawn to the heightened human interest, the record number of visitors, or the sheer density of formations. Whatever the cause, many who were present recall an atmosphere that felt unusually charged, as though the landscape itself was humming with intent.

​One of the more intriguing encounters of that summer took place at Smeathe’s Plantation near Ogbourne St. George, Wiltshire. A few days after a crop circle appeared there, researcher Andrew Pyrka and a colleague travelled to document the formation on 27 July 2009. Conditions were ideal — a warm, bright July afternoon, with nothing at first to suggest anything out of the ordinary.
After completing their photographic expedition , they began packing their equipment. It was then that Andrew noticed a disturbance in a small copse overlooking the formation. A section of the trees appeared to shimmer or warp, as though viewed through a patch of unstable air. Andrew later described it as resembling the interference on an old analogue television set being tuned.
As the distortion settled, a figure seemed to materialise in the exact spot. Andrew immediately raised his camera and captured several frames. The first image, unedited and taken at distance, shows nothing remarkable at a casual glance — yet when zoomed in, a pale figure appears to be standing among the trees, holding an object of indeterminate shape.

The first initial capture of the Copse in question. This image is unedited and is seen as it was captured. At first nothing unusual is immediately visible but when you zoom into the almost centre you can see a strange being standing there and appears to be holding something.

Zoomed in section of the 1st initial image

A little bit closer

 Seeking a clearer shot, Andrew switched to a telephoto lens. But in the seconds it took to change lenses, the figure vanished. The entire incident lasted no more than two or three minutes. Its almost as if the being cottoned on to Andrew's intention. 

For the purpose of transparency and clarity - I have added contrast and sharpness - nothing else has been added or altered in any way.

That evening, Andrew uploaded the full set of images to me for review. One of the strengths of his approach was his willingness to have his material scrutinised — whether to confirm or debunk. In this case, the initial intriguing image did appear to show something anomalous: a pale, humanoid form holding what looked like a device or contraption.
Before publishing anything, a deeper review of the remaining photographs was undertaken. Most were routine reference shots — pole and ground shots, and general landscape scenes. But one image stood out. In the upper left corner, partially concealed in the flattened crop, a small dark‑skinned figure with large black eyes appeared to be crouching. It was subtle enough to have been overlooked entirely, and yet once seen, impossible to ignore.. 

The original photo I urged Andrew to check thoroughly. Photo at this stage is as taken - not edited in any way.

While still on the phone, Andrew opened the photo in question and began scanning every inch of it. Then came a sudden, absolute silence. Not a breath, not a word.
“Bloody hell, Mike…” he finally muttered.
There, in the very top left of the image, a small dark‑skinned being with black, unblinking eyes appeared to be crouching in the flattened section of the crop circle. A detail so subtle, so easily overlooked, it had almost slipped into the archives unnoticed — its significance hidden in plain sight.

Again for the purpose of clarity and transparency - the unedited zoomed in section showing the small black figure crouching in one of the avenues of the crop circle. 

'Fellow researcher Robert Martins, who sometimes works alongside Andy Pyrka in the hotspot areas in Wiltshire enhanced the original photo to attain further visual clarity to what appears to be a small figure that is already in the photo.
Another photograph from the same sequence captured a familiar feature of Wiltshire formations: a white orb hovering quietly between two trees, later seen moving away across the neighbouring fields. Such orbs have been reported for decades, often described as silent, self‑directed spheres of light.

The typical Wiltshire white Orb captured between two trees and later leaving the area - heading towards the Hackpen Hill location.

When the site was visited by myself several days later, additional independent accounts emerged. Tourists reported sightings of small dark beings similar to the figure in the photograph, and one visitor described seeing what resembled a mechanical bird moving above and on the ground of the formation. No images were captured of these later claims, though some witnesses provided artistic impressions of the small  dark skinned beings.

Artistic impression of small black skinned beings which appeared to be holding a spherical object

Artistic Impressions of sightings of small dark skinned beings.

Reports of these small beings are not unique to this location or year. Whether they represent an extra‑terrestrial presence, an undiscovered natural phenomenon, or something rooted in the folklore of the Wiltshire landscape remains an open question.
If you have encountered similar sightings or have your own story involving these beings, your account would be invaluable to the ongoing archive of this phenomenon.

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